The Blog

The next 10 years of Sydney

Let’s see what new things are coming to Sydney in roughly the next 10 years.

Let’s see what new things are coming to Sydney in roughly the next 10 years.

Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Central Park – Opening August 1, 2018

Part of the planned Central Park development, our hotel is near the city centre and surrounded by shops, cafés, and restaurants.

To be known as Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Central Park, the new hotel will be located within the western tower of the Foster + Partners-designed DUO mixed-use development on the corner of Abercrombie Street and Broadway, Chippendale and will comprise 297 rooms and will include a bar and lounge with an outdoor terrace, a restaurant, nearly 550 square metres of function space, a fitness centre, and convenient parking facilities.

Mastercard Global Tech Hub and Innovation centre in St. Leonards opening in 2018

Mastercard Australasia president Richard Wormald is launching a new global tech hub in Sydney. Louie Douvis

Global payments company Mastercard is pushing ahead with its vision to become a digital payments giant, opening its only tech and innovation centre in the southern hemisphere in Sydney.

The decision to open the centre came after Mastercard Australia division president Richard Wormald realised 50 per cent of the company’s 800 staff in the country were software engineers.

Mr Wormald said the centre would supercharge the region’s ability to create world-leading payments technology utilising artificial intelligence, blockchain, natural language processing and robotics, which would be exported to the rest of the world.

Northern Beaches Hospital opening in 2018

An artists impression of the Northern Beaches Hospital.

MORE than 1000 jobs are up for grabs at the new Northern Beaches Hospital.

In total there are 1300 positions for doctors, nurses and other staff at the Frenchs Forest-based site which is due to open late 2018.

Healthscope, which is behind the project said it has started talks with current doctors at Manly and Mona Vale hospitals. It will look to contact doctors and specialists working outside the peninsula who have registered an interest, “within weeks”.

Sydney Park Skate Park opening in late 2018

Sydney Park will become home to this state-of-the-art skate park.

The covers have come off the City of Sydney’s design for a state-of-the-art skate facility at Sydney Park in St Peters.

The proposed skate space will upgrade the old section of the park’s cycle centre into a multipurpose area for scooters, skateboards and BMX bikes.

The park has an extensive street section and a bowl section, improved landscaping that provides space to watch the action, as well as improved lighting.

The City has also confirmed a long-term vision which would involve the construction of a second and separate skate park for advanced skaters, and which would have the potential to host competitions.

Australia’s most advanced zoo in the heart of Western Sydney opening in 2018

The zoo will feature an African grasslands exhibit with giraffes and lions. Supplied image: Sydney Zoo

The Bungarribee zoo won’t cage its animals with the aim to attract Sydney families to the zoo which will have large open spaces.

Sydney Zoo will build the $36 million park featuring over 30 exhibits including elevated board walks and glassed observation areas.

It is expected the zoo will contribute about $45 million a year to the New South Wales economy and $3 million in extra tourist spending, with the completion set for 2018.

About 160 jobs will be created during construction and at least 120 jobs during operation.

Green Square – a new town centre. Major projects to be completed in 2018, 2019, and beyond and finalised by 2030

For the first time in over 100 years, the City of Sydney is building a new town centre.

Sydney’s oldest industrial heartland is transforming into a vibrant, sustainable and connected community.

For the first time in over 100 years, the City of Sydney is designing a new town centre. We’re revitalising the heritage and charm of this inner-city area using innovative design to create a great place to live, work and visit.

Close to the airport and city centre, Green Square is connected by rail, bus and cycleway.

Green Square has a rich past and an exciting future.

The CBD and South East Light Rail is expected to complete and begin service in 2019

Route of the CBD and South East Light Rail Line. Click to enlarge. (Source: Transport for NSW)

The CBD and South East Light Rail will connect passengers from Circular Quay through to Randwick and Kingsford on a reliable and higher capacity service.

A combined bus and light rail network will significantly improve public transport access to major sporting and entertainment facilities at Moore Park and Randwick along with the University of NSW, TAFE and health precincts.

Light rail will provide reliable, efficient, turn-up-and-go public transport, with services every four minutes between CBD and Moore Park, and every eight minutes to and from Randwick and Kingsford between 7am and 7pm.

Each vehicle will carry up to 450 people (up to nine standard buses) with a capacity of 13,500 passengers per hour (6,750 in each direction).

This project will generate $3 billion in economic benefit for NSW.

URBNSURF Sydney, a world leading surf park facility to be developed at Sydney Olympic Park, ready in 2019

Wave Park Group is proud to announce URBNSURF Sydney, a world leading surf park facility to be developed at Sydney Olympic Park.

Strategically located only 14 kilometres west of Sydney’s CBD, Sydney Olympic Park is the city’s demographic heart – home to a large population of residents, workers and students, and receiving over 11 million visitors per annum. Sydney Olympic Park is an ideal location for URBNSURF Sydney with its many sporting, entertainment and leisure venues (hosting over 5,500 events each year), large open green spaces, playgrounds and cycleways.

URBNSURF Sydney has been designed to use the latest version of the world’s leading wave generating technology, Wavegarden®, and will deliver high quality, authentic surfing waves to suit all abilities.

With a north-south lagoon orientation, URBNSURF Sydney has been designed to suit prevailing wind conditions. LED lagoon lighting means you can surf night and day. The facility will also feature sustainable design elements, renewable energy and water saving systems, in keeping with Sydney Olympic Park’s strong environmental sustainability ethos.

NorthConnex is expected to be open in 2019

Transurban owns 13 of the nation’s tolled roads, in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

It is building Northconnex, a nine-kilometre tunnel linking the M1 at Wahroonga to the Hills M2 Motorway at Pennant Hills, set to be completed by 2019.

The company is the first to give evidence at the inquiry looking at how tolls are set.

Northconnex is expected to cost $3 billion; around $800 million is coming from the federal and state governments, while Transurban along with two other companies are delivering the remainder — more than $2 billion.

Sydney Metro Northwest, projected to open in 2019

A NSW Government map of the planned Sydney Metro rail line. Supplied: NSW Government

“We’re wasting no time delivering Australia’s biggest public transport project,” Mr Baird said. “Sydney Metro will change Sydney forever – it will help boost capacity of our rail network by 100,000 people every hour, servicing our growing global city for generations to come.”

The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance had this to add on the new project: “This new high capacity metro line will be able to move more people across the Harbour in the busiest hour of the peak than the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel combined,” he said. “Sydney Metro will deliver ‘turn up and go’ rail services with more than 65 kilometres of new metro rail on a standalone line.”

Western Sydney Stadium, planned to be open in 2019

The Western Sydney Stadium designed by Populous. Image: Populous

Infrastructure NSW released new concept images of the stadium, part of the State Government’s $1.6 billion stadia strategy to improve sporting infrastructure across the state.

The 30,000 seat arena will go up on the site of Parramatta Stadium and boast the steepest stands of any venue in the country when it opens in 2019.

The images depict the rectangular stadium with all 30,000 seats under roof cover plus a bustling precinct that will provide pedestrian and transport links, and improved access to Parramatta Park.

The new stadium will play home to the NRL’s Parramatta Eels and A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers.

W Hotel will be returning to Sydney at Darling Harbour (where the IMAX was), to be completed in 2019

The Ribbon is the name of teh new development on the site of the IMAX in Sydney’s Darling Harbour.

Private development and construction group Grocon has won planning approval for a $700 million hotel to be built on the site of the IMAX cinema at Darling Harbour, clearing the way for a sale to Chinese investor Zhengtang.

The imminent deal will mark a record for the top end of the Sydney hotel market and lock in a key component of the precinct’s revamp, with only minor changes being required to the design of the building, which takes the form of a twisted ribbon.

The sale would put the project on track to be finished in 2019. It will include a five-star hotel, serviced apartments and a revamped IMAX ­cinema.

The hotel will be run as a W Hotel, with the 402-room property to mark the brand’s return to Sydney.

Western Sydney Performing Arts Centre, opening in late 2019

An artist’s impression of the $100 million Western Sydney Performing Arts Centre, which is to be built next to Rooty Hill RSL and will be entirely self-funded by the club. Photo: Supplied

It has been hailed as a future cultural icon for Sydney’s west. At a price of $100 million, the biggest performing arts centre in western Sydney will be built using pokies profits.

Rooty Hill RSL, the largest licensed club in NSW that generates the lion’s share of its annual revenue from its gaming room floor, has started construction on a $100 million state-of-the-art theatre next to its premises in western Sydney.

Called the Western Sydney Performing Arts Centre, the venue will have a 2000-seat proscenium arch theatre, and is being billed by the club as the west’s answer to the Opera House.

Parramatta Square, to be completed in 2020

An artist’s impression of Parramatta Square, part of the area’s rapid development

The new data reveals Parramatta CBD will grow by 32 per cent over the next five years, which will see it eclipse North Sydney to become the third largest office market in Sydney, while closely trailing second-placed Macquarie Park.

The growth is being driven by the $2 billion Parramatta Square project, where three office towers comprising a total of 180,000 square metres of office space will be built over the next few years, bringing thousands of workers to heart of Parramatta.

Rockpool Bar and Grill, Sake and QT Hotel to open in Parramatta in 2020

A selection of dishes from Rockpool Bar and Dining. Photo: Supplied

Uptown restaurant brands Sake and Rockpool Bar & Grill opening in Parramatta, say what? After dipping his ladle in the western Sydney metropolis with a branch of his entry-level Burger Project brand, chef Neil Perry has inked a deal with Coronation Property to open two restaurants at the 8 Phillip Street development where a luxury QT hotel will also slide in.

Coronation and Rockpool Dining Group are sticking to the same song sheet in saying only that the two restaurants will be “Premium” brands, but well-placed sources on Parramatta’s eat streets confirmed one of them will be a branch of refined Japanese restaurant Sake, the other a clever spin-off of Rockpool Bar & Grill that focuses on the bar and ditches the restaurant.

Perry, who refused to confirm starters for the project, did concede a Rockpool bar spin-off with wagyu burgers on the menu is in calculations as part of the group’s wider strategy.

A bigger and better Fish Market, opening around 2020

Sydney Fish Market to get $250 million makeover

For 50 years, Sydney Fish Market has been one of Sydney’s most important attractions and one of the world’s biggest fish markets. Now, we have the opportunity to reimagine this iconic site; to create a Sydney Fish Market for the future with world-class facilities.

Following the government’s announcement of the Bays Precinct Urban Transformation Project in July 2014, SFM have been working closely with UrbanGrowth NSW, to ensure that our vision for the future of the site is incorporated into the transformation plan for the whole of the Bays Precinct.

The first step in the tendering process has been announced with registrations of interest (ROI) called for the revitalisation of the Market at a new location at the head of Blackwattle Bay.

An expanded NSW Arts Gallery, scheduled for 2021

Image of Sydney Modern Project as produced by Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA

The Gallery’s expansion – the Sydney Modern Project – will enable the display of more of the State’s art collection and the hosting of more major exhibitions from around the world. The new building designed by international Pritzker Prize-winning architects SANAA will be linked by an outdoor art garden to the existing and much-loved historical building.

Due for completion in 2021 for the Gallery’s 150th anniversary, the expanded Gallery will provide more space for art in all its evolving forms, along with new opportunities to learn, create, discover and engage. Australia will gain a vibrant new cultural hub where people, ideas and art come together, strengthening links with our local and regional communities, and improving access between the Gallery, Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney Harbour, Sydney Opera House, State Library of NSW, the CBD and Woolloomooloo.

Crown Sydney Casino, opening in 2021

PHOTO: An artist’s impression of Crown Sydney casino and hotel (far left), designed by the architecture firm Wilkinson Eyre. (Supplied)

Crown Sydney is a casino and hotel that is currently under construction in Barangaroo, Sydney, Australia. When it opens in 2021, it will be the second legal casino in Sydney (the other being The Star). However, unlike The Star, Crown Sydney’s casino will only operate with VIP membership restrictions. With 75 floors (including mezzanines) and a height of 271.3 m (890 ft), it will become the city’s tallest building, surpassing Chifley Tower.

Sydney Football Stadium demolished and rebuilt, opening in 2021

An artist’s impression of what a rebuilt Olympic Stadium would look like. Supplied: NSW Government

The New South Wales Government has revealed its multi-billion-dollar plan to demolish and rebuild the Olympic Stadium at Homebush and the Sydney Football Stadium at Moore Park.

The Sydney Football Stadium will be rebuilt as a 45,000-seat venue. Work at the site will start next year with completion expected by 2021.

Construction on the Olympic Stadium will begin in 2019 before the new venue is opened in 2022. The rectangular stadium, described as the “crowning jewel” of Sydney’s sporting venues, will have a capacity of 75,000 people.

WestConnex is a 33-kilometre (21 mi) predominately underground motorway currently under construction in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

The motorway, a joint project of the New South Wales and Australian governments, encompasses widening and extension of the M4 Western Motorway (M4), a new section for the M5 South Western Motorway (M5), and a new inner western bypass of the Sydney CBD connecting the M4 and M5. Together, these projects will create around 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) of new tunnels. In addition, 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) of the existing M4 will be widened and converted to a private tollway.

To help fund the project, the publicly-owned M5 East Motorway (M5 East) will be converted to a private tollway, while the toll on the existing M5 will be extended for a further 34 years.

Olympic Stadium demolished and rebuilt, opening in 2022

The rebuilt Olympic Stadium has been described as a “crowning jewel”. Supplied: NSW Government

The stadium at Homebush was purpose built for the 2000 Sydney Olympics at a cost of $690 million and has since played host to some of Australia’s greatest sporting moments.

Originally designed for 110,000 spectators, it was later reconfigured to a reduced capacity of 83,500.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian thinks it is approaching its used-by date.

“By the time we start construction it would be nearly 20 years old and that was built for an Olympics, it wasn’t built for modern, global events and it wasn’t built for spectators,” she said.

Parramatta light rail, with a planned opening in 2023

The project will also result in significant change to bus stops and routes, and roads in and around the planned light rail line. Parts of Church and Macquarie streets in Parramatta’s CBD will be closed to traffic, resulting in them becoming pedestrian zones.

The government has set aside $1 billion for the first stage of the Parramatta light rail line, while it will also impose a special infrastructure contribution on new developments along the route.

The contribution will amount to about $200 per square metre for new residential developments. Funding from the levy will also go towards infrastructure, such as new schools and road upgrades.

Western Harbour Tunnel and Beaches Link, expected to be running in 2023

The NSW Government has revealed a preferred route for the Beaches Link and Western Harbour tunnels.

The Western Harbour Tunnel will connect to WestConnex at the Rozelle Interchange, cross under Sydney Harbour between the Birchgrove and Waverton areas and connect with the Warringah Freeway at North Sydney.

As part of the project, the Warringah Freeway Upgrade will make the road safer and more efficient.

Beaches Link is a tunnel which will connect to the Warringah Freeway, cross under Middle Harbour connecting with the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation at Balgowlah and the Wakehurst Parkway. The Wakehurst Parkway will be upgraded to two lanes each way between Seaforth and Frenchs Forest.

The project will also offer new ‘east-west’ connectivity with links to the Lane Cove Tunnel and M2 Motorway via a Gore Hill Freeway Connection.

Barangaroo, set to be complete in 2024

Barangaroo south boardwalk artist impression

The creation of Barangaroo is long term. When complete in 2024, Barangaroo will accommodate more than 23,000 workers and residents, and host thousands of visitors each day.

Wulugul Walk will be open from Barangaroo Reserve through the central section to the financial district. When complete, it will form part of a 14km Sydney Harbour foreshore pedestrian walkway from Sydney’s Fish Markets through to Garden Island.

Sydney Metro City & Southwest, starting at the end of 2024

Above: Artist’s impression of proposed Campsie Station as part of Sydney Metro City & Southwest project / Transport for NSW.

Sydney Metro City & Southwest is a 30 km (19 mi) rapid transit railway line in Sydney, Australia currently under construction. The project will extend Sydney Metro Northwest from Chatswood on the North Shore, to Bankstown in the city’s south-west via the Sydney central business district. The centrepiece of the project is a new 15.5 km (9.6 mi) twin-tunnel rail crossing under Sydney Harbour and through the city to Sydenham. Together with planned improvements to the Main Western line, the project is expected to increase capacity on the Sydney rail network by up to 60%, and allow for the movement of over 100,000 extra commuters across the network every hour.

The line will act as a major extension of Sydney Metro, connecting Chatswood – the terminus of Sydney Metro Northwest – to Sydenham. At Sydenham, the line would join the existing Bankstown railway line, which would be converted to rapid transit operation between Sydenham and Bankstown. The combined route between Chatswood and Bankstown is called Sydney Metro City & Southwest.

Circular Quay revitalisation, to be ready in 2025

Circular Quay gets a $3.7 billion facelift and most of it is private money

Something’s happening that will change one of the most recognisable images of Australia.

By 2025, the look of Circular Quay in Sydney – bounded by Opera House to the east, the bridge to the west, the harbour to the north and and expanding city skyline to the south – will see a massive $3.7 billion in development.

It’s already starting. Buildings are being demolished to make way for towering new offices and swish apartments for the rich and famous. New laneways with restaurants and entertainment. New public spaces, new public transport.

Western Sydney Airport, set to open in 2026

he Australian Government has announced that Badgerys Creek will be the site for a Western Sydney Airport.

Set to open in 2026, Western Sydney Airport is a transformational infrastructure project that will generate economic activity, provide employment opportunities closer to home for people in the Western Sydney region, and meet Sydney’s growing aviation needs.

The Australian Government established a Government-owned company, WSA Co, and is investing up to $5.3 billion in equity to deliver the airport. WSA Co will be responsible for construction of the airport.

Thousands of jobs and opportunities for local businesses will be created. The airport is expected to support almost 28,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2031, five years after the airport opens.

M12 Motorway, set to open before the Western Sydney Airport

Above: M12 Motorway Preferred Corridor Route

The Australian and NSW governments are proposing to build a new motorway as part of the Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan (WSIP), a 10 year, $3.6 billion road investment program.

The new M12 Motorway would provide direct access to Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek and connect to Sydney’s motorway network.

The preferred corridor route is an east-west 16 kilometre motorway between the M7 Motorway, Cecil Hills and The Northern Road, Luddenham. The motorway would provide increased road capacity and reduce congestion and travel times in the future. It would also improve the movement of freight in and through western Sydney and is expected to serve the Western Sydney Priority Growth Area and the Western Sydney Employment Area.

Sydney Metro West, expected to open in the second half of the 2020s

The 24km West Metro extension from Central to Parramatta and Westmead

Sydney Metro West is a separate line between the Sydney CBD and Parramatta. The project was mentioned in a discussion paper released in September 2016 that investigated new rail projects to service Western Sydney and the proposed Western Sydney Airport. Media reports indicated the project had found favour with Transport for NSW and the New South Wales Government. It was announced as an official project on 14 November 2016.

Planning for the line is at an extremely early stage. Stations are expected to be located in Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park, the Bays Precinct and the Sydney CBD, with up to 12 stations being considered. The preferred alignment is scheduled to be announced in late 2018, and the line is expected to open in the second half of the 2020s. The government will use a value capture scheme to help pay for the project. The contributions from value capture are expected to amount to between 10 and 15 percent of the capital cost.

The metro project serves a similar area to the previously announced Parramatta Light Rail. On 17 February 2017 it was announced that “stage 1” of the light rail project would run between Westmead and Carlingford, and that a “stage 2” branch to Strathfield via Sydney Olympic Park had been deferred. A redesigned and truncated stage 2 route to Sydney Olympic Park via the suburbs to the north of the Parramatta River was announced in October 2017.

An improved City of Sydney in 2030

Tomorrow’s Sydney is coming sooner than you think

A major part of the strategy’s development came out of extensive consultation with the local community. Stakeholders included residents, focus groups, representatives from the retail, liquor and entertainment sectors as well as key government leaders.

By 2030, the City hopes the night-time economy will be transformed away from a focus on younger people and drinking. It is hoped 40% of people using the City at night will be aged over 40 and that 40% of operating businesses at this time will be shops.

We’re encouraging a larger variety of retailers and attractions to stay open late, to broaden people’s choices of things to do after dark. Small businesses interested in opening later can attend free workshops to discuss ideas and register their comments.

Other plans include a 24-hour library with Wi-Fi facilities and 1 night every year where galleries and museums remain open late. The City hopes to double its night-time turnover to $30 billion and increase night-time employment by 25% to 100,000 jobs.